Tony Bennett Reveals He Has Alzheimer’s

By Zoe Papadakis | Monday, 01 February 2021

Tony Bennett has revealed that he has Alzheimer’s disease.

The 94-year-old crooner’s battle with the disease was documented in a lengthy AARP article, which contained interviews with his family members, and on Monday Bennett announced the news by sharing a link to the article on Twitter.

“Life is a gift – even with Alzheimer’s,” he wrote. “Thank you to Susan and my family for their support, and @AARP The Magazine for telling my story.”

Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s in 2016 and since then the disease has progressed, according to the magazine. His wife, Susan, explained that there were moments where he could not recognize everyday objects like a fork and keys.

Bennett first began to show symptoms two years after his diagnosis, while recording his album with Lady Gaga. Now Susan Bennett is doing her best to help him pursue a healthier lifestyle in hopes that they can keep the disease under control.

He is following a Mediterranean diet and is exercising three days a week. Dr. Gayatri Devi, a Manhattan neurologist who diagnosed Bennett, also has urged the family to encourage him to keep up with his music, as it stimulated his brain “in a significant way.”

It was also his passion and what kept him going, Susan said. “Singing is everything to him. Everything. It has saved his life many times.”

It has not been an easy journey for Bennett and his family.

Devi applauded the singer for his strength amid his Alzheimer’s battle. “He is doing so many things, at 94, that many people without dementia cannot do,” Devi said. “He really is the symbol of hope for someone with a cognitive disorder.”

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Tony Bennett performs onstage during the 17th Annual A Great Night In Harlem at The Apollo Theater on April 04, 2019 in New York City. (Theo Wargo/Getty Images)